THOMAS MUNZER. 29 love, calculated to calm passion, and carry conviction to Ch. 2 excited minds. His moderate counsels prevailed, the tumults A. D were hushed, and order was restored. Carlstadt was silenced 1523. for a time; but his spirit was too active, and the age was too excited, for him to yield to Luther's authority on all points, especially on those to which he attached great importance. One of these was in reference to the presence of Christ's body in the Eucharist, which Carlstadt totally denied. He taught "that the Lord's supper was purely symbolic, and was simply a pledge to believers of their redemption." But Luther saw in every attempt to exhibit the mere symbolical import of the Supper only the danger of weakening the authority of Scripture; he therefore carried his views to the extreme of literal interpretation, and never could fully emancipate himself from the doctrines of Rome respecting the Eucharist. Carlstadt, Carl stadt's finding himself persecuted at Wittemberg, left the city, and, flight. as soon as he was released from the presence of Luther, began to revive his former zeal against images also, and was the promoter of great disturbances. He at last sought refuge in Strasburg, and sacrificed fame, and friends, and bread to his honest convictions. pea The views of Carlstadt, however, found advocates, and his extravagances were copied with still greater zeal. Many pretended to special divine illumination, and regarded the light thus obtained as superior to every other. Among these Münzer was Thomas Münzer, of Zwickau, mystical, ignorant, and and the conceited, but sincere and simple-hearted. "Luther," said sants' he," has liberated men's consciences from the papal yoke, but he has not led them in spirit towards God." Considering himself as specially called upon to bring men into greater spiritual liberty, he went about inflaming the popular mind, frequently raising discontents, and sometimes even inciting to revolt. Religion now became mingled with politics, and social and political evils were violently resisted under that garb. An insurrection at last arose in the districts of the Black Forest war. STATE OF EUROPEAN SOCIETY IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY THE period at which this history commences was one of Ch. 1. the most extraordinary epochs in the annals of mankind. It A. D. was distinguished above all others by the characters and 1400 passions it developed, and by the brilliant contrast it pre- to sented to the ten centuries which had preceded it since the 1509. fall of the Roman empire. It was the commencement of a new era. It was the dawn of a glorious day of enterprise and experiment—the birth-period of great thoughts, and of unknown agencies-the spring-time of modern society, with The fif all its wonderful inventions, refinements, literature, and arts. century The second infancy of Europe had now passed away, and in a brilvigorous, hopeful, inexperienced youth, the nations, as they epoch. merged into manhood, began to institute reforms, and to exercise energies, which had been gradually developing during the sluggish and sleepy ages that had witnessed the triumph of feudal and papal despotisms. And yet the time was not marked by any great political movement which united the energies, and stimulated the passions of the various Christian nations, like the Crusades of the Middle Ages. There was no general war, no common ndertaking, no important confederation. There was not even exciting contest between the spiritual and temporal teenth liant CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXV.-THE DECLINE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRA. Rise of Mohammedan power Growing power of the Turks. 292 290 Solyman the Magnificent 293 290 His successors 293 Masters of Asia Minor 291 Peace of Carlovitz 294 CHAPTER XXVII.—THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. Accumulated evils in France............ 326 | Writings of the Philosophers Cause of the Revolution ... 324 ...... 324 .... 324 325 CHAPTER XXVIII.-NAPOLEON BUOnaparte. Early youth of Napoleon ............... 351 Spoliation of Italy ........................ 358 Reverses of the French .................. 358 Court paid to Napoleon.................. 358 Becomes First Consul... ................. 359 353 Passage of the St. Bernard The Marshals of France.................. 363 Invasion of England Treaty of Campo Formio.............. 356 Invasion of Egypt ........................................................ 356 Battle of the Pyramids .................. 356 of the Nile........................... 357 ....................................................................... 357 |